This movie is a great concept and brings us some great stories and personalities. It's educational and fun to ride with the truckers featured here. Unfortunately, the filmmaker doesn't seem to trust them to make an exciting film by themselves, and so there is near-schizophrenic cutting throughout (the average shot is probably about 3 seconds) and an overpowering amount of music to accompany every moment. It's also shot like an extended episode of Road Rules, with countless montages of road signs and scenery backed by aforementioned beat-heavy rock. I think the movie would actually be half as long if you took out these interludes. Which is a shame, because based on the amount of road footage the film includes, the filmmakers must have spent quite awhile on the road, and have got to have many more interview reels with truckers than they put in the final version. Since the filmmaker himself doesn't have much to say beyond the fact that truckers are good people and trucks are important, it's too bad that he didn't let the truckers say more themselves.
10 Reviews
Almost interesting doc that lacks any narrative
JBoze31314 January 2013
I had high hopes for this based on the description and the reviews of others. I was, needless to say based on my headline, disappointed completely. The movie follows way too many people, very little of it is actually about big rigs or the life of a truck driver, much of it was too political (seemed mostly like fairly uninformed political discussion), and too much of it merely solidified the stereotypes of truckers that the film seemed to want to get away from. On top of all that, none of it was very interesting.
The main problem is the film lacks a solid narrative foundation. The editing is horrendous, jumps all around the country, often leaving you with no idea where we're off to next or if there's any goal in mind. They'd introduce a character, spend 2 mins with him then suddenly leave and never bring the guy back. One guy's entire time on camera was basically him sitting in his broken down truck, and only after nearly 2 hours do we see what on earth happened- yet, even here, we don't get a true sense of what a trucker would do in such a circumstance. The MTV style editing with a millisecond of a random object was distracting as well. It seems like the director didn't get enough coverage for any of the scenes- why else leave in all the annoying zoom in shots where he tried, often in vain, to get an object in focus- an object that had no bearing on the story itself? That took away from the film's aesthetic, and with the shabby narrative, this movie needed all it could get in that dept.
Just generally a disappointing effort throughout. I enjoyed a couple of the stories, and we did get small glimpses into the lives of truck drivers, but nowhere near enough to justify 100+ mins. And let's even discuss in too much detail the endless montages of random road signs and roadway accompanied by music that was a good 3 times louder than any of the dialogue- I had to turn the volume up and down, up and down the entire time. Interesting idea, tragically flawed result.
The main problem is the film lacks a solid narrative foundation. The editing is horrendous, jumps all around the country, often leaving you with no idea where we're off to next or if there's any goal in mind. They'd introduce a character, spend 2 mins with him then suddenly leave and never bring the guy back. One guy's entire time on camera was basically him sitting in his broken down truck, and only after nearly 2 hours do we see what on earth happened- yet, even here, we don't get a true sense of what a trucker would do in such a circumstance. The MTV style editing with a millisecond of a random object was distracting as well. It seems like the director didn't get enough coverage for any of the scenes- why else leave in all the annoying zoom in shots where he tried, often in vain, to get an object in focus- an object that had no bearing on the story itself? That took away from the film's aesthetic, and with the shabby narrative, this movie needed all it could get in that dept.
Just generally a disappointing effort throughout. I enjoyed a couple of the stories, and we did get small glimpses into the lives of truck drivers, but nowhere near enough to justify 100+ mins. And let's even discuss in too much detail the endless montages of random road signs and roadway accompanied by music that was a good 3 times louder than any of the dialogue- I had to turn the volume up and down, up and down the entire time. Interesting idea, tragically flawed result.
A Beautiful film about a Under-appreciated Group
JustCuriosity17 March 2007
Big Rig screened this week at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, TX where it was very well-received. Big Rig is an entertaining and very personnel look at truckers that attempts to counter the many negative stereotypes that Americans have about truckers. The film acts to humanize this group that most Americans know little about. The cinematography of the American landscape as viewed from trucks driving across America is quite beautiful. This is backed up by an entertaining soundtrack. The truckers interviewed are often quirky characters who come off as much smarter and reflective than most of us would expect.
In the film, we see a great variety of truckers of different backgrounds, races, personalities, ages, and politics. The film also includes several female truckers and talks about the difficulties that they face in a male-dominated world. The focus is mostly on who the truckers are, why they do what they do, and the difficulties that they face (rising gas prices, time away from their families, government regulation, etc.). The film also tries to show us how crucial and under-appreciated the role of trucking is in our national economy.
The only real weakness is that by only telling the story entirely from the truckers' perspective, they provide a portrait that is almost entirely sympathetic and essentially uncritical. They never speak to any consumer advocates or critics of trucking industry, for example. They don't discuss many of the problems that truckers cause for the roads, other motorists, or the environment. They don't really explore much about trucking industry and its faults. The view is more personal and in this case that's mostly a positive. The film is charming and scenic view of an under-appreciated American subculture that is in many ways the unseen backbone of much of the American economy.
In the film, we see a great variety of truckers of different backgrounds, races, personalities, ages, and politics. The film also includes several female truckers and talks about the difficulties that they face in a male-dominated world. The focus is mostly on who the truckers are, why they do what they do, and the difficulties that they face (rising gas prices, time away from their families, government regulation, etc.). The film also tries to show us how crucial and under-appreciated the role of trucking is in our national economy.
The only real weakness is that by only telling the story entirely from the truckers' perspective, they provide a portrait that is almost entirely sympathetic and essentially uncritical. They never speak to any consumer advocates or critics of trucking industry, for example. They don't discuss many of the problems that truckers cause for the roads, other motorists, or the environment. They don't really explore much about trucking industry and its faults. The view is more personal and in this case that's mostly a positive. The film is charming and scenic view of an under-appreciated American subculture that is in many ways the unseen backbone of much of the American economy.
Horrible documentary
girlpuny26 May 2007
I was interested in the title and description of Big Rig while attending the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, TX. However, I was eager to get the heck out of the seats as soon as Big Rig ended. Big Rig is comprised of several "big rig" drivers who set out to deliver goods driven across the United States. The characters are all wonderful people, however the filmmakers never dug deep into the complexity of them as people. Instead, the story meanders as much as the maps in the film are meant to guide, but never do. At most, we get lost. We - the audience - end up going nowhere and, like the direction of the storytelling, end up somewhere but without direction, location, or plot. Why are we here? Where are we? How did we get here? The storytelling is sloppy and the directors' intent on "humanizing" a group of people who they regard as "overlooked" and "invisible" comes across as unconsciously and irritatingly condescending. The problem here here lies in the perspective of the directors instead of the truck drivers. The directors bring their own naive assumptions about truckers forward and then simply edit the film to confirm those assumptions. Overall, the story lacks any tension, the film is entirely too long (should have been a 15 min sketch), the big question of "So what" is never answered, and the entire film is one piece of see-through propaganda that does nothing to further "enlighten" (as the directors claim) the outside world about big riggers.
It's a very good short summary of what goes on for an "Over The Road" truck driver during every day life.
tookie_3831 July 2008
I have to admit that I was very impressed with the film. While I wasn't too concerned about the actual film making aspect of it, I was paying close attention to the reality and detail of what the film was presenting to the viewers (after all it was a documentary). The subject matter that was presented was great, and the choice of drivers in the film was very diverse and a very real portal to some of the characters one would meet at any truck stop, anywhere, on any day in the US.
The film may be scattered somewhat jumping from driver to driver, and it never really gives an idea of what happens or where the people end up at the end of the film. It's more of a snapshot of the daily life of the truck driver, and relies more on stories about how they got to that point in their lives and includes some road stories from the past. It barely touches the surface of the actual daily struggles of a truck driver, but it's done in a nice neutral way that doesn't try to sway the viewer. Some drivers are likable, some are not. The situation throughout the film "is what it is".
If you've ever been curious about who those drivers are in those big trucks sharing the road with you, this movie is a very good place to start and get an idea.
The film may be scattered somewhat jumping from driver to driver, and it never really gives an idea of what happens or where the people end up at the end of the film. It's more of a snapshot of the daily life of the truck driver, and relies more on stories about how they got to that point in their lives and includes some road stories from the past. It barely touches the surface of the actual daily struggles of a truck driver, but it's done in a nice neutral way that doesn't try to sway the viewer. Some drivers are likable, some are not. The situation throughout the film "is what it is".
If you've ever been curious about who those drivers are in those big trucks sharing the road with you, this movie is a very good place to start and get an idea.
Lacked a Consistent Theme
Uriah4310 September 2017
This documentary starts off with two truckers venturing an opinion that without those in their industry the entire American economy would grind to a standstill within three days. Although neither of them provided any economic research to support their contention their point was still quite compelling. From there the film then zeroes in on several truckers as they go about their business and provide us with personal insights on their daily lives. And it's the differences between them that cause this documentary to lose its overall focus as few of them share the same general concerns. For example, one female driver is so afraid for her safety at truck stops that she refuses to come out of her sleeper cab during the night. Meanwhile, another trucker has a woman in just about every town he stays in. But the person who really sticks out is the simpleton from Idaho who points to the Confederate flag on his dashboard and proclaims that it represented true "freedom" back in the day. Apparently, he didn't study history very well because, if he had, he would have known that under that same flag--which he proudly praises--were hundreds of thousands of slaves who were badly beaten and abused in the process. No doubt if they were alive today, they would gladly refute any ideas that they were living in "freedom". And if that wasn't bad enough, he then goes on to voice his displeasure at the current government and loudly advocates for a revolution to overthrow it. Never mind that he has no real idea of what to replace it with. Apparently, he hasn't quite thought that far ahead. Be that as it may, the really fortunate thing is that--although he has the freedom to voice his opinion--others also have the freedom to disregard it for the ignorant ravings that they truly are. Ironically, the next scene features a different trucker informing us of how "patriotic" they are. No doubt most are--but I would venture to guess he never met the guy before him. In summation, although this documentary does offer a unique perspective on the life of several truckers, it lacks a consistent theme which diminishes the overall effect and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Below average.
The day the earth stood still...
poe4266 December 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Because I used to make a (meager) living as a driver, I can appreciate what the folks who drive "the big rigs" go through- especially in this country, where things like our current economic Depression make it exceedingly more difficult to make a living behind the wheel. As a cab driver, I was forced to pay for my own gas every time I got behind the wheel. (College kids, who thought it was funny, would "jump and run" from time to time- never knowing (or caring) that the only person they were really hurting were the drivers; the company itself never lost money on a bail-out: the driver owed half of every fare metered, as well as a full tank of gas at the end of the night...) This past year, doing an on-going comic strip for a local ad paper (CAPE FEAR COMICS, which can be seen, I'm told, at encorepub.com), I did a panel showing big rigs lined up beneath a DIESEL $4.29 sign at a service station. The caption above the cartoon read: THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL. To all the drivers out there: you are not alone.
Awesome documentary
leazeram4 December 2008
This is a story about the people that keep this country moving by driving 18-Wheelers. The documentary started out interviewing a truck driver at a truck stop who said that if for a single week, trucks stopped running, that it would turn the country upside down. As soon as the guy behind this man heard him, he turned around and said that it would only take three days to cause panic at grocery stores around the country, because almost everything that we buy arrives at the stores from 18-Wheelers.
Doug Pray is the director of this film. In order to produce Big Rig, he rode across 45 state lines in multiple tractor trailers. He also has made Hype! a documentary film about the emergence of the rock scene in Seattle. Another movie, Scratch is about the hip hop world and specifically the DJs that spin in the clubs. He also has two other movies about graffiti artists and surfers. On Pray's website he says that he likes to uncover the story of people that he sees as underdogs or those that people in society misunderstand. Pray also believes the people he films have many things in common. For example, he says that both surfers and DJs understand how to flow with things, even though their careers are totally different.
The idea behind Big Rig is to expose the truck drivers that run our country. These people are often taken for granted because society forgets how important they are. There was one person in particularly that caught my attention, he was a man who only had one arm but was still able to drive a truck. He was a very inspiring person because he was almost killed in an accident involving heavy machinery. After that he decided that he wanted to become a truck driver so that he could see the country and more important that than that, he loves his job, which is something that not everyone experiences. There was another story about a man who was in an accident in his truck. He was going down a hill and he lost his brakes, so he had to veer off the side of the road. When he arrived at the hospital and the police officer asked him if he was wearing his seat belt the man responded, Yes. However, the officer responded that that was impossible because the steering column had came into the cab during the accident and if he was wearing it then he would be decapitated. When the nurse examined him, sure enough he was in fact wearing his seat belt. It's the little miracles like this that made him strive to achieve at what he does and he didn't let his accident scare him out of driving a truck or doing what he loves.
The majority of this film was edited in interview format. I think this is because he is trying to get people to tell about their lives on the road and that really would have been able to be conveyed unless he got them to talk about their life. Another major part of this film was the music that was included. The band used was Buck 65. All the music that was played in the film was specifically composed for the purpose of being in this documentary. Buck 65's music is based around country music, which is important because truckers are seen as the last of the cowboys.
Overall, I would suggest watching this documentary because I believe that it will give people a new found respect for those who drive 18-Wheelers because their lives are harder than we could ever imagine.
Doug Pray is the director of this film. In order to produce Big Rig, he rode across 45 state lines in multiple tractor trailers. He also has made Hype! a documentary film about the emergence of the rock scene in Seattle. Another movie, Scratch is about the hip hop world and specifically the DJs that spin in the clubs. He also has two other movies about graffiti artists and surfers. On Pray's website he says that he likes to uncover the story of people that he sees as underdogs or those that people in society misunderstand. Pray also believes the people he films have many things in common. For example, he says that both surfers and DJs understand how to flow with things, even though their careers are totally different.
The idea behind Big Rig is to expose the truck drivers that run our country. These people are often taken for granted because society forgets how important they are. There was one person in particularly that caught my attention, he was a man who only had one arm but was still able to drive a truck. He was a very inspiring person because he was almost killed in an accident involving heavy machinery. After that he decided that he wanted to become a truck driver so that he could see the country and more important that than that, he loves his job, which is something that not everyone experiences. There was another story about a man who was in an accident in his truck. He was going down a hill and he lost his brakes, so he had to veer off the side of the road. When he arrived at the hospital and the police officer asked him if he was wearing his seat belt the man responded, Yes. However, the officer responded that that was impossible because the steering column had came into the cab during the accident and if he was wearing it then he would be decapitated. When the nurse examined him, sure enough he was in fact wearing his seat belt. It's the little miracles like this that made him strive to achieve at what he does and he didn't let his accident scare him out of driving a truck or doing what he loves.
The majority of this film was edited in interview format. I think this is because he is trying to get people to tell about their lives on the road and that really would have been able to be conveyed unless he got them to talk about their life. Another major part of this film was the music that was included. The band used was Buck 65. All the music that was played in the film was specifically composed for the purpose of being in this documentary. Buck 65's music is based around country music, which is important because truckers are seen as the last of the cowboys.
Overall, I would suggest watching this documentary because I believe that it will give people a new found respect for those who drive 18-Wheelers because their lives are harder than we could ever imagine.
One Truck Drivers" Opinion
ehrldawg14 January 2013
Warning: Spoilers
This is an interesting documentary. It got quit abit of the various aspects of the trucking industry. But,I've been in it for over twelve years and have heard it all. Some of it is stale.The funniest part is when the truck driver beaned his son with the baseball.
I was taking my father to see his grandson quarterback Newberry football. On the way there,we stopped at Uncle Petes because of this documentary. Uncle Pete was busy,but finally came over to our section of the restaurant. I spoke up. "I saw you on that big rig documentary". His response---"Whoopee". WOW!! Was that a waste of time or what!!!
Loretta and Doris are hot!!!
erldwgstruckermovies.com
I was taking my father to see his grandson quarterback Newberry football. On the way there,we stopped at Uncle Petes because of this documentary. Uncle Pete was busy,but finally came over to our section of the restaurant. I spoke up. "I saw you on that big rig documentary". His response---"Whoopee". WOW!! Was that a waste of time or what!!!
Loretta and Doris are hot!!!
erldwgstruckermovies.com
If you bought it, a trucker brought it!!
caspernomadpaul1 August 2021
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